US8123288B2

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US8123288B2
Application number: US12/508,927
Authority: US
Inventors: Marcus L. Murphy; D. Stephen Hoffman
Original assignee: Ultra Mek Inc
Current assignee: Ultra Mek Inc
Priority date: 2009-07-24
Filing date: 2009-07-24
Publication date: 2012-02-28
Also published as: US20110018331A1

Abstract

A rocking and reclining seating unit includes: (a) an upright position, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which an ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of a seat and a backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases; a reciprocating mechanism configured to enable the seat, the backrest and an associated reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed reciprocating motion relative to a base unit; and a locking unit that prevents reciprocating of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions by a locking unit that includes a capture member and a locking link that are configured such that the locking link resides in a corner section of the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to seating units, and relates more particularly to reclining seating units with rocking capability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recliner chairs and other reclining seating units have proven to be popular with consumers. These seating units typically move from an upright position, in which the backrest is generally upright, to one or more reclined positions, in which the backrest pivots to be less upright. The movement of the seating unit between the upright and reclined positions is typically controlled by a pair of matching reclining mechanisms that are attached to the seat, backrest and base of the chair.

One particularly popular reclining chair is the so-called “rocker-recliner,” which can, when in the upright position, rock with a forward and rearward motion similar to that of a traditional rocking chair. A typical rocker recliner, one of which is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,647 to Rogers, includes an arcuate rocker cam that is attached with the lower portion of each mechanism, with the lower convex surface of the rocker cam contacting a level bearing surface of the base. Also, a spring assembly is mounted to the base of the chair and to each rocker cam. Each spring assembly includes two quite stiff, vertically-oriented helical springs attached to mounting brackets that are in turn fixed to the base and to the rocker cam. When the chair is in its upright position and is unoccupied, the seat, backrest and reclining mechanisms reside above the base, the rocker springs are deflected only along their longitudinal axes, and the rocker cams rest on a level portion of the base. When an occupant sits on the chair and applies a forwardly- or rearwardly-directed force to the seat or backrest, the seat and backrest move relative to the base. The path of movement is defined by the convex shape of the rocker cams as they rock on the level bearing surface of the base, with the result that the seat and backrest simulate the rocking motion of a rocking chair. During the rocking movement, the rocker springs deflect such that their top portions bend away from their longitudinal axes as the chair rocks forward and back. The deflection in the springs urges the springs (and, in turn, the seat and backrest) to return to their original positions as the chair returns to and through the upright position. In this manner, the chair is capable of providing a controlled rocking motion when in the upright position.

Many, if not all, chairs of this design include some type of safety feature, such as an extendable foot, that prevents rocking when the chair is in a reclined position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,754 to Lawson discloses a rocker lock that is pivotally interconnected with the rear portion of the reclining mechanism and with the base of the chair. More specifically, the rocker lock includes three separate pivotally interconnected links mounted to the base and to the reclining mechanism. A bracket is mounted to and extends above the base. A slotted link is pivotally and slidably attached to the bracket via a pin on the bracket. A support link, to which a roller is attached, is pivotally interconnected with the forward end of the slotted link and with the reclining mechanism. A control link is pivotally interconnected with the support link and to the reclining mechanism. In the upright position, as the chair rocks, the slotted link moves forwardly and rearwardly relative to the mounting bracket, as the pin on the mounting bracket is free to slide within the slot of the slotted link as it moves. As the chair moves to an intermediate reclined position (often termed the “TV position”), movement of the reclining mechanism causes the control link to drive the roller on the support link downwardly into contact with a plate attached to the base. The slotted link is forced rearwardly so that the pin of the mounting bracket is lodged against the front edge of the slot. This placement of the wheel and the pin in the slot prevents the chair from rocking.

This locking mechanism can have some shortcomings. Because the slotted link slides on the pin of the mounting bracket during the rocking motion, in some instances the occupant of the chair can rock forward sufficiently that the rear end of the slot strikes the pin, thereby giving a jolt to the occupant. Also, because of the configuration of the locking mechanism, if the occupant is rocking forward when releasing the chair to a reclined position, in some instances the chair can “catch” and impede reclining movement. One locking mechanism that proposes to overcome some of these shortcomings is discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/982,108, filed Nov. 4, 2004 and entitled Rocking-Reclining Seating Unit with Motion Lock, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Nevertheless, it may be desirable to provide additional configurations for motion locking mechanisms that can remove cost and/or labor from the manufacturing process and that can improve performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention are direction to a rocking and reclining seating unit. The seating unit comprises: a base unit; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base unit and substantially rearward of the seat; an extendable ottoman; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, the reclining mechanism configured to move the seating unit between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases; a longitudinally-directed reciprocating mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed reciprocating motion relative to the base unit; and a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to reciprocate while in the upright position but prevents reciprocating of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions. The locking unit comprises: a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and a capture member fixed to the base, the capture member having a corner section. The capture member and the locking link are configured such that the locking link resides in the corner section of the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions. This configuration provides a relatively simple and straightforward locking system for the seating unit.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising: a base unit; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base unit and substantially rearward of the seat; an extendable ottoman; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, the reclining mechanism configured to move the seating unit between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases; a power actuating unit attached to the reclining mechanism; a rocker mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the rocker mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed rocking motion relative to the base unit; and a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to rock while in the upright position but prevents rocking of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions. The locking unit comprises: a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and a capture member fixed to the base, the capture member having a corner section. The capture member and the locking link are configured such that the locking link resides in the corner section of the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions.

As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising: a base unit; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base unit and substantially rearward of the seat; an extendable ottoman; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, the reclining mechanism configured to move the seating unit between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases; a longitudinally-directed reciprocating mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed reciprocating motion relative to the base unit; and a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to reciprocate while in the upright position but prevents reciprocating of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions. The locking unit comprises: a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and a capture member fixed to the base. The locking link engages both the base and the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rocker-recliner chair according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side section view of the chair ofFIG. 1 with the chair in its fully upright position.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism of the chair ofFIG. 1 with the chair in its fully upright position.

FIG. 3 is a side section view of the chair ofFIG. 1 with the chair in its TV position.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism of the chair ofFIG. 1 with the chair in its TV position.

FIG. 4 is a side section view of the chair ofFIG. 1 with the chair in its fully reclined position.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism of the chair ofFIG. 1 with the chair in its fully reclined position.

FIG. 5 is a top cutaway view of the frame of the chair ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Broken lines illustrate optional features or operations unless specified otherwise.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” and “between about X and Y” should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as “between about X and Y” mean “between about X and about Y.” As used herein, phrases such as “from about X to Y” mean “from about X to about Y.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on”, “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.

This invention is directed to seating units that have a stationary base, a seat portion, and a backrest. As used herein, the terms “forward”, “forwardly”, and “front” and derivatives thereof refer to the direction defined by a vector extending from the backrest toward the seat parallel to the underlying surface. Conversely, the terms “rearward”, “rearwardly”, and derivatives thereof refer to the direction directly opposite the forward direction; the rearward direction is defined by a vector that extends from the seat toward the backrest parallel to the underlying surface. The terms “lateral,” “laterally”, and derivatives thereof refer to the direction parallel with the floor, perpendicular to the forward and rearward directions, and extending away from a plane bisecting the seating units between their armrests. The terms “medial,” “inward,” “inboard,” and derivatives thereof refer to the direction that is the converse of the lateral direction, i.e., the direction parallel with the floor, perpendicular to the forward direction, and extending from the periphery of the seating units toward the aforementioned bisecting plane.

The seating units illustrated and described herein comprise a plurality of pivotally interconnected links. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the pivots between links can take a variety of configurations, such as pivot pins, rivets, bolt and nut combinations, and the like, any of which would be suitable for use with the present invention. Also, the shapes of the links may vary as desired, as may the locations of certain of the pivots. Moreover, in some instances combinations of pivot points may be replaced by equivalent structures, such as “slider-crank” configurations, like those described in B. Paul,Kinematics and Dynamics of Planar Machinery4-21 (1979).

Referring now to the figures, a swiveling rocker-recliner chair, designated broadly at10, is illustrated inFIGS. 1-5. Thechair10 includes abase unit11, aseat13 that is generally horizontally disposed above thebase unit11, abackrest15 that is generally vertically and disposed substantially above a rear portion of theseat13, and two

ottomans

17a,17b, which, in the upright position ofFIG. 1, are generally vertically disposed below a front portion of theseat13.Arms18 are positioned on either side of theseat13 and move in concert with theseat13.

A pair of mirror image reclining mechanisms30 (only one of which is shown herein inFIGS. 2-4) are attached to thebackrest15, theseat13, and the

ottomans

17a,17b. Thereclining mechanisms30, which comprise a plurality of interconnected links, move thechair10 between (a) an upright position (FIGS. 1,2 and2A), in which theseat13 is generally horizontally disposed, thebackrest15 is generally vertically disposed, and the

ottomans

17a,17bare generally vertically disposed and positioned below theseat13, (b) an intermediate TV position (FIGS. 3 and 3A), in which the

ottomans

17a,17bare generally horizontally disposed in front of theseat13 and thebackrest15 and theseat13 substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position (FIGS. 4 and 4A), in which the angle between thebackrest15 and theseat13 increases. These components are described in greater detail below.

Referring toFIGS. 4 and 5. Thebase unit11 includes rocker rails16 that are reinforced bycross-members18.Rocker cams20 rest on the upper bearing surfaces of the legs of therails16. Arecliner foundation24 is mounted to the top surfaces of therocker cams20; thefoundation24 includeslongitudinal brackets26 and

cross-members

28a,28bthat span thelongitudinal brackets26. The arcuate lower surfaces of thecams20 are configured for rolling contact with the bearing surfaces and enable thechair10 to have a fore-to-aft rocking motion. This motion is controlled by rocker spring assemblies (not shown) that are attached to the cross-members18 and to the cross-members28a,28b. Therocker cams20, the rocker spring assemblies, and the components to which they are attached form a rocker mechanism. It is to be understood other rocker mechanisms may be employed; for example, the rocker spring assemblies may also be attached directly to thereclining mechanisms30 in other embodiments, such as in the manner illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,094 to Hoffman, and the reclining mechanism can be mounted directly onto therocker cams20 as illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,754 to Lawson.

Because thereclining mechanisms30 are mirror images of each other, only one reclining mechanism will be described in detail herein, with the understanding that the discussion is equally applicable to themirror image mechanism30. Also, for clarity the mechanism will be described first with reference toFIG. 4 (with themechanism30 in its reclined position), then will be described in its upright and TV positions.

Turning now toFIG. 4, thereclining mechanism30 includes a generally crescent-shaped mountingbracket32 that is fixed to thelongitudinal rail26. Aslot32ais present at the front end of the mountingbracket30. An L-shapedlower swing link34 is attached to a lower region of the mountingbracket32 at apivot36 and extends upwardly and rearwardly, then upwardly and forwardly therefrom. A straightupper swing link38 is attached at its lower end to the upper end of thelower swing link34 at apivot40 and extends upwardly and rearwardly therefrom.

A backpost48 is fixed to thebackrest15 via a spacer60 and extends generally forwardly from the lower front end of thebackrest15. Theupper swing link38 is attached to a forward portion of the backpost48 at apivot50. Astraight coupling link52 having aslot52ais attached to the backpost48 via apin48alocated forwardly of thepivot50. Thecoupling link52 extends forwardly and downwardly from thepin48ato attach to the front end of the mountingbracket32 via apin52binserted into aslot32ain the mountingbracket32. Atrapezoidal sequencer plate54 is attached to the backpost48 at apivot58, and also interacts with the backpost48 via aslot54athat receives a pin48b. Thesequencer plate54 is also attached to the rear end of the mountingbracket32 at apivot56.

Still referring toFIG. 4, aseat frame62, to which thearms18 are mounted, underlies theseat13. Aseat bracket64 is fixed to theseat frame62. In turn, aseat adapter66 is fixed to theseat bracket64. Theseat adapter66 is attached to the backpost48 at apivot68 that is located just rearward of thepivot50. Thecoupling link52 is also attached to theseat adapter66 at apivot67. An upperottoman swing link72 is attached to a front region of theseat adapter66 at apivot74 and extends downwardly and forwardly therefrom. A tripartite lowerottoman swing link76 is attached to apivot78 that is located rearwardly and downwardly from thepivot74; the lowerottoman swing link76 extends generally forwardly from thepivot78. An upperottoman extension link80 is attached to the forward end of the lowerottoman swing link76 at apivot82 and extends forwardly and upwardly therefrom. Also the upperottoman extension link80 is attached to the upper ottoman swing link at apivot84. A lowerottoman extension link86 is attached to the forward end of the upper ottoman swing link at apivot88 that is positioned above and forward of thepivot84 and extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom generally parallel with the upper ottoman extension link. Anouter ottoman bracket90 is generally horizontally disposed and is attached to the upper and lower ottoman extension links80,86 at

pivots

92,94 respectively. Theottoman17ais mounted on theouter ottoman bracket90.

A bi-angledinner ottoman bracket96 is attached at its lower, forward end to the lowerottoman extension link86 at apivot98. At its opposite end, theinner ottoman bracket96 supports theottoman17b. Theinner ottoman bracket96 also includes aslot96athat receives apin80alocated on the upperottoman extension link80.

A connectinglink100 is attached to thesequencer plate54 at apivot102. The connectinglink100 extends forwardly and slightly upwardly from thepivot102 to apivot104 with the lowerottoman swing link76.

A locking unit130 (FIG. 4A) is attached to thereclining mechanism30 to prevent rocking of thechair10 when it is in the TV or fully reclined positions. Thelocking unit130 includes alock drive link132 that is pivotally interconnected at one end to the connectinglink100 at apivot134. Thedrive link132 is a straight link that extends rearwardly from thepivot134. The opposite end of thedrive link132 is pivotally interconnected with alocking link136. Thelocking link136 includes awheel138 or other engagement structure at its lower (or engagement) end, and further includes apin139 at its upper end and apin136anear thewheel138. Thelocking link136 is also attached to the mountingbracket32 at apivot140. A Z-shapedcapture member200 is fixed to therail16. Anupright segment202 extends upwardly from therail16, and ahorizontal segment204 extends forwardly from theupright segment202, thereby forming acorner section206.

Referring back toFIG. 4 and also toFIG. 5, thechair10 includes apower unit112 that drives thechair10 between its upright, TV and fully reclined positions. Thepower unit112 includes amotor unit114, to which is attached asleeve116. Thesleeve116 extends rearwardly from themotor unit114 and receives aretractable rod118. Themotor unit114 is electrically connected with an actuator (not shown), such as a toggle switch or the like, that energizes themotor unit114 upon actuation.

Themotor unit114 is attached to a mountingbracket110 at apivot120 via a mountingtab114a(seeFIG. 5). The mountingbracket110 is then attached to a cross-member108 that extends between the recliningmechanisms30. Abracket106 is fixed to each of the lower ottoman swing links76 and to thecross-member108.

Therod118 of thepower unit112 is attached to a bracket46 (FIG. 5) at apivot122. Thebracket46 is then attached to a Z-shapedcross-member44 that extends between the recliningmechanisms30. The cross-member44 is fixed to abracket42 that is in turn pivotally attached to thelower swing link34 of eachreclining mechanism30 at apivot45.

As can be seen inFIG. 2, in the upright position, therod118 of thepower unit112 is retracted into thesleeve116. As a result, a pantographic linkage formed by the upper and lower ottoman swing links72,76 and the upper and lower ottoman extension links80,86 are folded under theseat frame62, which positions theottoman17bunderneath a forward portion of theseat frame62 and theottoman17ajust forward of and below theseat frame62 in a vertical orientation. Also, the lower and upper swing links34,38 are oriented such that the upper segment of thelower swing link34 is generally horizontal, which positions the backpost48 and, in turn, thebackrest15, in a generally upright position.

Additionally, as shown inFIG. 2A the lockinglink136 is generally horizontally oriented, such that thepin139 is below and forward of thecorner section206 of thecapture member200, and thewheel139 is positioned well above therail16. In this position, thechair10 is free to rock as therocker cams20 engage in rolling motion relative to the rocker rails16. During the rocking motion, thelocking unit130 is stationary relative to the recliningmechanisms30.

To move thechair10 from the upright position to the TV position ofFIG. 3, an occupant of thechair10 actuates the actuator, which causes therod118 to begin to extend from thesleeve116. Extension of therod118 attempts to force thebracket46 rearwardly, which would also attempt to rotate thebracket42 and thelower swing link34 about thepivot36. However, the weight of the seated occupant prevents substantial rotation of thebracket42. Because there is little to no fore-and-aft movement of the rear end of therod118, themotor unit114 moves forwardly relative to thebase unit11, thereby driving the lowerottoman swing link76 counterclockwise about thepivot78. Rotation of the lowerottoman swing link76 forces the upperottoman extension link80 forward, which in turn draws the upperottoman swing link72 counterclockwise around thepivot74. Also, the lowerottoman extension link86 moves forwardly more than the upperottoman extension link80, such that theouter ottoman bracket90 and theinner ottoman bracket96 rotate counterclockwise (rotation of theinner ottoman bracket96 causes thepin80ato move in theslot96atoward thepivot98. The rotation of the outer and

inner ottoman brackets

90,96 induces the

ottomans

17a,17bto rotate from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation. Motion of the

ottomans

17a,17bceases when a pin72aon the upperottoman swing link72 strikes the upper edge of the lowerottoman extension link80.

In addition, the rotation of the lowerottoman swing link76 draws the connectinglink100 forward (seeFIGS. 2A and 3A). Movement of the connectinglink100 draws thelock drive link132 forward, which in turn draws thelocking link136 counterclockwise around thepivot140 to a generally vertical orientation. This action forces thewheel138 on one free end of thelocking link136 downwardly into contact with the upper bearing surface of therail16, and drives thepin139 on the other free end of thelocking link136 into thecorner section206 of thecapture member200. In this position, any attempt to rock the chair rearwardly is prevented by thewheel138 bearing on the upper surface of thebase unit11, and any attempt to rock the chair forwardly is prevented by thepin139 bearing on thecapture member200. The configuration of thelocking mechanism130 may be particularly desirable because it involves relatively few moving parts, thereby simplifying its manufacture and operation.

Further, the forward movement of the connectinglink100 induces thesequencer plate54 to rotate counterclockwise about thepivot58. This movement lowers the backpost48 relative to thebase11, which increases the pitch of theseat13.

To move thechair10 from the TV position ofFIG. 3 to the fully reclined position ofFIG. 4, the occupant can continue to operate the actuator, which extends therod118 farther out of thesleeve116. When the

ottomans

17a,17bare fully extended, the

pivots

84,88 and94 are in a near “over-center” condition that helps to lock the

ottomans

17a,17bin an extended position. Thus, as therod118 continues to extend from thesleeve116 when the chair is in the TV position, themotor unit114 cannot move forward relative to thebase unit11 any farther, so the rear end of therod118 begins to move rearwardly relative to thebase unit11, resulting in counterclockwise rotation of thelower swing link34 about thepivot36. This rotation drives theupper swing link38 clockwise about thepivot50, which forces the forward end of the backpost48 upward. As a consequence, the backpost48 rotates counterclockwise about thepivot58 relative to the sequencer plate54 (and to theseat adapter66, theseat frame62 and the seat bracket64). Rotation of the backpost48 and, in turn, thebackrest15, continues until (a) the pin48bon the backpost48 reaches the upper end of theslot54ain thesequencer plate54 and (b) thepin52bof thecoupling link52 reaches the rear end of theslot32aof the mountingbracket32. In this position, thebackrest15 has reclined relative to theseat13 at a greater angle than in the upright and TV positions.

It can also be seen inFIG. 4A that thelocking mechanism130 continues to prevent thechair10 from rocking as thechair10 moves to the fully reclined position. It can also be seen that theseat13, driven primarily by thelower swing link34 and thecoupling link52, rises during movement from the TV position to the fully reclined position.

Thechair10 can be returned to its TV position from the fully reclined position by the occupant operating the actuator in the reverse direction. Because of the over-center condition of the

pivots

82,84,88, the

ottomans

17a,17bremain extended, such that retraction of therod118 draws thebackrest15 to its upright position. Once the motion of thebackrest15 is complete, the over-center condition of the

pivots

84,88 and94 can be overcome, and the

ottomans

17a,17bare able to retract to the upright position.

Those skilled in this art will recognize that other variations of thechair10 are contemplated in connection with the present invention. For example, thepower unit112 may be reversed, such that themotor114 is at the rear end of thepower unit112 and therod118 is at the front end. In such a case, therod118 would extend forwardly relative to thebase unit11 as thechair10 moved from the upright position to the TV position, and themotor114 would move rearwardly relative to thebase unit11 when the chair moved from the TV position to the fully reclined position. In either instance, the front end of thepower unit112 moves relative to thebase unit11 during the movement from the upright to the TV position, and the rear end of the power unit moves relative to thebase unit11 during the movement from the TV to the fully reclined position.

Also, in some embodiments the rocking mechanism31 may be replaced with a gliding mechanism or the like that can impart a longitudinally-directed reciprocating movement of the seat relative to the base unit.

Further, thecapture member200 may take a different shape. For example, the capture member may define a closed loop, within which thepin139 can move during rocking motion. Thelocking link132 may also take a different configuration, or may be driven by a different link of thereclining mechanism30. Thewheel138 may be omitted or replaced with a different contact member. Other alternatives may be apparent to those of skill in this art.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as recited in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims

That which is claimed is:

1. A rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising:

a base unit;

a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit;

a generally upright backrest positioned above the base unit and substantially rearward of the seat;

an extendable ottoman;

a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, the reclining mechanism configured to move the seating unit between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases;

a longitudinally-directed reciprocating mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed reciprocating motion relative to the base unit; and

a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to reciprocate while in the upright position but prevents reciprocating of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions, the locking unit comprising:

a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and

a capture member fixed to the base, the capture member having an upright segment extending upwardly from the base and a horizontal segment fixed to the upright segment, wherein a corner section is formed at the intersection of the upright and horizontal segments;

wherein the capture member and the locking link are configured such that the locking link resides in the corner section of the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions.

2. The seating unit defined inclaim 1, wherein the reciprocating mechanism is a rocker mechanism with cams that rock relative to the base unit.

3. The seating unit defined inclaim 1, wherein the horizontal segment extends forwardly from the upright segment.

4. The seating unit defined inclaim 2, wherein the locking link is pivotally attached to a foundation plate fixed to the rocker cam.

5. The seating unit defined inclaim 4, wherein the locking unit further comprises: a connecting link that couples the locking mechanism to the reclining mechanism; and a lock drive link that is pivotally connected to the connecting link and to the locking link.

6. The seating unit defined inclaim 1, wherein the locking link engages the base unit in the TV and fully reclined positions.

7. The seating unit defined inclaim 1, wherein the reclining mechanism includes a pantographic linkage on which the ottoman is mounted, and wherein in the TV and fully reclined positions, pivots between links of the pantographic linkage form a near over-center arrangement that locks the ottoman in position.

8. The seating unit defined inclaim 1, wherein the seat rises in moving from the TV position to the fully reclined position.

9. The seating unit defined inclaim 2, wherein the reclining mechanism includes a backpost that is fixed relative to the backrest, a mounting bracket that is fixed relative to the rocker cams and pivotally attached to the backpost, and a seat adapter that is fixed relative to the seat pivotally attached to the backpost.

10. The seating unit defined inclaim 1, wherein the power actuating unit includes opposed first and second ends, and wherein the first end of the power actuating unit moves forwardly as the seating unit moves from the upright position to the TV position, and wherein the second end of the power actuating unit moves rearwardly when the seating unit moves from the TV position to the fully reclined position.

11. A rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising:

a base unit;

a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit;

an extendable ottoman;

a power actuating unit attached to the reclining mechanism;

a rocker mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the rocker mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed rocking motion relative to the base unit; and

a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to rock while in the upright position but prevents rocking of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions, the locking unit comprising:

a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and

12. The seating unit defined inclaim 11, wherein the power actuating unit includes opposed first and second ends, and wherein the first end of the power actuating unit moves forwardly as the seating unit moves from the upright position to the TV position, and wherein the second end of the power actuating unit moves rearwardly when the seating unit moves from the TV position to the fully reclined position.

13. The seating unit defined inclaim 12, wherein the reclining mechanism includes a lower swing link pivotally attached with the base and an upper swing link pivotally attached with the lower swing link and with the backrest.

14. The seating unit defined inclaim 12, wherein the power actuating unit includes a motor and an extendable member at the first and second ends.

15. The seating unit defined inclaim 11, wherein the horizontal segment extends forwardly from the upright segment.

16. The seating unit defined inclaim 11, wherein the locking link is pivotally attached to a foundation plate fixed to a rocker cam of the rocking mechanism.

17. The seating unit defined inclaim 16, wherein the locking unit further comprises: a connecting link that couples the locking mechanism to the reclining mechanism; and a lock drive link that is pivotally connected to the connecting link and to the locking link.

18. The seating unit defined inclaim 11, wherein the locking link engages the base unit in the TV and fully reclined positions.

19. A rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising:

a base unit;

a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit;

an extendable ottoman;

a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and

a capture member fixed to the base the capture member having an upright segment extending upwardly from the base and a horizontal segment fixed to the upright segment, wherein a corner section is formed at the intersection of the upright and horizontal segments;

wherein the locking link engages both the base and the capture member at the corner section when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions.

20. The seating unit defined inclaim 19, wherein the locking link has opposed free ends, and wherein a first of the free ends engages the base and a second of the free ends engages the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions.

21. The seating unit defined inclaim 19, wherein the locking link is generally horizontally disposed when the seating unit is in the upright position and is generally vertically disposed when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions.